Belichick: Outcoached, and a sore loser
FROM THE PHOENIX AIRPORT — Some final comments on Super Bowl 42:
– No surprise that Bill Belichick walked off the field with one second remaining in the game. Belichick is a known cheater, which means he doesn’t respect the game or the spirit of competition. So of course he would be a sore loser. Of course he would disrespect the game once more. Of course he lacked the guts to stand with his team until the end, to watch it all go down.
– That said, it was pathetic the way Belichick ran off on his team, to leave the old guys on the defense to go out there and stand for one final snap. Whatever happened to the idea of a coach and players being in it together, win or lose? Not Belichick. They lost and he was outta there.
– Belichick’s aging defense couldn’t stop Eli Manning and the Giants on two crucial fourth-quarter possessions. They didn’t have the legs to keep up. I can’t help but think that all the blowouts., all the times that Belichick ran up the score, played a role in this. So many times this season, the Patriots kept their starters on the field much longer than they needed to, as Belichick tried to humiliate other coaches in some bizarre act of revenge for being fined for his cheating. Well, on Sunday night in the Valley, the age and the arrogance finally caught up to Belichick and his defense.
– Belichick and staff were outcoached. The Giants had better tactics on both sides of the ball. The Pats never adjusted to the Giants’ decision to go after Tom Brady, who was sacked five times and smacked around all night. And the Patriots were surprisingly flat, considering that they had a perfect season and a another Super Bowl championship on the line. “The Giants had a better game plan than we did, they came ready to play four quarters,” Patriots wideout Randy Moss said. “I think their intensity from the beginning to the end was higher than ours. It surprised me, because of all the work we put in the last two weeks.“It’s hard to explain. I don’t really have words for it.”
– The New York media is already mythologizing the Giants victory. Here’s the truth: it wasn’t the best Super Bowl ever. It was a clunky, sluggish game for three quarters. It was a tremendous fourth quarter, as good as any. But overall, this wasn’t a great game. Just a great, scintillating finish.
– Eli wasn’t Joe Namath in Super Bowl 3. He was better than Namath. The New York media keeps framing this as Manning shocked the world the way Namath shocked the world. No, this isn’t so. Yeah, Namath guaranteed a Jets win over the Colts, who were favored by 17. And that was shockling. But Namath did not play a major role in the game. The Jets won because their defense feasted on turnovers, and they won on the strength of Matt Snell and Emerson Boozer and a bruising running game. Eli Manning did something that Joe Willie didn’t do in Super Bowl 3: Manning brought his team back twice in the fourth quarter to win the biggest game of his life.
– That Manning scramble and the pass to David Tyree … Yeah, it realy was one of the great plays, and most memorable plays, in Super Bowl history. We’ll be talking about that one forever.
– I know they are overexposed with the commercials and nonstop interviews and everything, but the Mannings really are nice people, and gracious people. I am happy for their success.
– I dont know if the Giants put on the best defensive performance in Supe history; I tend to doubt it, given that all of those unbelievably intimidating Steelers defenses won four of these games. But for one night only, what the Giants did to the Patriots - who scored a record 589 points in the regular season - ranks right near the top.
– Rams coach Scott Linehan can learn something from Giants coach Tom Coughlin. Give Coughlin credit for improving his player relations by empowering the players to state their views and have a voice in how the team was being run. Coughlin’s “Player Council” was a good idea and Linny should do the same.
– Patriots fans, including ESPN.com’s Bill Simmons, are saying now they know how Rams fans felt after Super Bowl 36. NO YOU DON’T. The Rams may have been cheated out of that win. I don’t think the Giants cheated to beat the Patriots. So spare me this nonsense.
That’s all for now. Time to fly and make my way back to the STL …
Thanks for reading.
-B
This article reeks of stupidity. How did you get this job?
Ok I’ll have to admit Bill Belichick took it like a little schoolgirl and Eli the poster child for dysfunctional quarterbacks sucked it up when he had to. BUT what’s this crap about the RAMS! There losers and always will be! It took a great coach like Dick Vermeil to get them to the big win. So to beat up the Patriots isn’t fair they are a dynasty and I believe everyone knows they will be back. Go Cowboys!
Thank You Bernie!
I hate the Patriots! It’s so funny how quickly they went from being “America’s Team” to cheating sore losers that everyone wanted to see lose. I still feel robbed on that Super Bowl as a Ram fan. Not only were they caught cheating but let us not forget the rule that was enforced after that game. Not touching the receivers after the 10 yard mark. They were mauling Holt and Bruce that whole game.
The Pats got what they deserved. And they really don’t know how we felt like after that game
Bernie, totally agree. Billichek also showed how classless he was in the post game interview offering up 2 word responses, and not congratulating the Giants on their win.
Well said Bernie. I hope more people, especially those inside the NFL, will realize winning isn’t glorious unless it’s done so honorably. “Everybody does it” is a pathetic excuse. Belichicks legacy could have been exceptional. Now it is forever tarnished, & rightly so. The Patriots have become one of Americas favorite teams to root against, & that’s all due to the arrogance and bush league behavior of their coach. The day he leaves the league will be a great day & I don’t see a rosey future for the Pats while he is there. I think he has caused a cancer to begin eating away at what was potentially the greatest dynasty ever. Now, every loss will be blamed on Super Bowl hangover & the scrutinizing of Belichicks relationship with his players will begin. Personally, I say let the unraveling begin!
Bernie, your article was so sobering and definitely no nonsense. No hyperbole, just the way it went down.
ESPECIALLY the “spare me” @ the end because the Giants’ D was even imposing during the Dallas game and the way they pounded Brady reminded me of their clobbering of Kurt Warner before Marc Bulger took over the reigns in the Meadowlands one fateful opening day.
:¬)
BM - disagree re your comment about the sluggish 3 qtrs. I thought it was a good to great game throughout. Needless to say, not much scorring but some good solid smacking and the 4th Q was dynomite!.
Couldn’t believe that NE didn’t run a draw or a screen at some poiint to keep NY on their heels a bit. genius-boy Belichek made essentially no adjustements.
He certainly should not have left the field with a tic left. And during his postgame, hallway interview the only decent thing he said about the Giants was that ‘they made more plays than we did’. He gave them no props at all. He may have later in the press mess but I didn’t catch it. he’s a petulent little man. and to think we all knew this about him but were ready to anoint him until Sunday. it’s a shame we idolize or even put up with people like this.
One more thing. thanks god they didn’t lose in week 17!
Or 1 - 16 for that matter.
This way, we had a chance to savor their demise on the biggest stage.
There is a great picture on the Boston Herald web site today. It shows Belichick sprinting off the field while his team in the bachground watched him.
Bernie,
Thanks for the insightful comments - I always look forward to reading your columns.